The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-08-06
A SUM MFR IDYL.
RN CALVIN.

My wife and |. with our three off, spring, took up our abode for tho summer in pretty suburban cottage.
 The arrangement with our landlord stipulated hcs should not be called upon to make any alterations or re- pairs.
 Our means are limited within very narrow limits, SD like the two reason- able souls that we are, we determined to ceonomize in all reasonable ways, but one little extravaganza Cherry my wife, insisted upon; that our dining room floor should be polished, as she was to be her own maid ot.all- work. and wished as few carpets as possible to care for,
 Cherry Is willing. ambitious. brave hearted creature, but lacking In muscular force. So when she pro posed to shellac and polish the floor to save the expense of hiring a pro- fessional, l at once put my manly loot down with masculine emphasis on the project.
 Like the generous, self sacri 1eing soul that l an known to be, declared l would bear upon my broad shoul- ders the T sponsibility of polishing the floor. Cherry madc n gentle de- murrcr, but ilnnlly yielded the point.
 The next morning began opera. tions, rising with the sun in the en- thusiasm born of incNpcriencc. IL proved not difficult to apply inc staining, but when began to polish inch by inch, with the thermometer in raging fever of one hundred de- grccs, my heart was dismayed, for the room measures sixteen by sixteen. and to crawl over that amount of territory on pended knees was not pleasant to contemplate.
 Filled with sad reflections on the deprivations poverty entails and with the sweat of honest toll trickling In tiny rivulcts from my noble brow, l sat down to rest, and, picking up Il paper, my eyes chanced to see an arti- cle in the domestic column, headed Hints for Amateurs In Polishing Floors" Immediately my attention was fixed upon this article. The writer assured her readers with the assurance of experience that the work of polishing could Ike greatly facili- tated if the operator would fastcn to the buttons of his or her feet pair of stiff scrubbing brushes, and thus < lidc over the surface desired to be pol ishcd. After little practice the per son would become quite adept in the skating like motion required and a brilliant polish would result, without tiring the back or bruising the knees. The plan recommended Itself to me on the grounds of originality and bril- liancy of conception, and determined to test its feasibility.
 Accordingly hied me forth in search of brushes. had long and weary march ere found brushes equal to the area of my pedal cxtrem- tiles, for thou~h there may be differ ence of opinion as to the graceful formation of those members, no one can deny that they are built upon a noble design with no stint of material.
 l argued, too, that the pressure of one hundred and eighty pounds avoir- dupois was greatly in my favor, 20 with my brushes in place and with light heart and eyes beaming with hope I began my experiment.
 Contrary to expectations, I found myself unsteady when stood on my brushes, so concluded to cling to the wall for support till 1 became accus- ! toned to my new mode of flocomotfon. had been at work but a few minutes 1 ittytaS atx s.rAa 1tUDetAA ht, the giggling of three little imps, as they sang out in their giee: "Oh !! mamma, come quick, quick! See papa walking on brushes =
 Mamma came, and soon retreated at my command of: "Cherry, keep those children out of here; it is bad enough to make martyr of myself, without being laughed at."
 Bennie, the eldest, began to whim- per: "What makes papa go cross5 He did look funny, didn't he, man. ma?~
 Hush hush! come away p Cherry answered "papa is tired"
 should say @papa was tired, 1" and beginning to be cross, too, but, left to myself, rallied my courage and went to work again. I determined to ven. ture away from the wall, and had gained considerable self-assurxnce when in bounded our Newfoundland dog, with tail frisking and eyes slight with humor l had never seen in them before. He seemed all at Once to have developed . keen appreciation of the ridiculous, as he gamboIed about, and knocking against me, sent me sprawling on the floor. l regained